It’s early in the year but I’m calling it. I just had the best breakfast I’m going to have all year. I wasn’t planning on eating but when I saw it on the menu and asked the waiter to explain, he didn’t even get to finish his sentence before I was ordering it. Last weekend we were driving in a cross-country fashion between Mt Gravatt and West End. We had thoughts of coffee in amongst our errands and as we drove through Tarragindi, I knew we couldn’t be too far away from Billy Kart Kitchen. And it turns out we weren’t.
Billy Kart is owned by chef/patron Ben O’Donoghue. We first discovered Ben via the BBC show, ‘The Best’ where he worked alongside Paul Merret and Silvana Franco to turn out ‘the best’ version of dishes. It was lots of fun and I always hope that it will pop up on one of the secondary channels so I can take a trip down memory lane. Since then there’s been books and further TV shows but in the end, when the reality of endless freezing UK winters loomed, it was laid back Brisbane that wove its spell and lured Ben back to Australia.
But enough of the chit chat. Let’s talk about the best breakfast this year. Aussie Asian Breakfast ($21.50). Two eggs, deep fried and served on top of a pile of bacon with king prawns in a Asian inspired dressing. It’s a umami explosion. The eggs are shirred around the edges from the fast frying with wispy strands of crisped egg white yet the yolk remains soft. The bacon is thick and meaty and clearly from a happy pig and butcher. The prawns are huge. Dressed in a sticky, sweet and salty dressing with a generous sprinkle of chilli, this is perfect hangover food. What a revelation. What a shame I had to share it with Mr Tiffin.
For days after we’ve been talking about this one dish so can only imagine what other surprises await us on future visits. This brilliant breakfast stands alongside a number of more standard options. I spied the Crispy Corn Fritters at the table beside us. No one likes a soggy fritter and these looked much more like an Indian pakora or bahji with lots of crunch as diners tuck in. Sweet options such as Bircher Muesli and Buttermilk Pancakes are on offer as well as just a cup of coffee and pastry if that’s all your after. Anthony has told me not once but twice how chuffed he was to see Ben actually cooking, rather than being just a name over the door.
Billy Kart Kitchen is very Brisbane. On a quiet street in the middle of suburbia, it sits inside an old corner shop. High ceilings. Lots of wood and weatherboards. A wide footpath. Cut flowers for sale as well as displays of the fruit and veg used in cooking, it still has the feel of an old fashioned general store. The original Clifton Hill grocery shop sign hangs at the back. It’s a welcoming space for groups and families with plenty of smaller tables for quiet dining on the shaded footpath.
Enough talking from me though…it’s a breakfast to schedule into your calendar immediately. It is indeed ‘The Best’.
Billy Kart Kitchen
1 Eric Crescent
Annerley Qld 4103
www.billykartkitchen.com
Great review. I have only been to Ben’s place once and have to say I was very disappointed to be there for lunch and not breakfast. Even though I had a good chat with Ben who was hiding away in the back corner we were hiding away in, and our meals were fabulous. Excellent chips. I’ve been planning a return visit for a while but just haven’t quite made it there!
Thanks Mel. I was blown away by this dish. Not that I was expecting anything pedestrian from B O’D but it was the perfect antidote to a busy Saturday morning.
I keep meaning to go here. Sounds fab and I will have to drag mr pickings there pronto! I love a good breakfast dish.
It’s really tucked away but worth seeking out. cheers!
I am SO going… I can almost taste that breakfast… I have had some amazing ones in my time, so I think a trip to Brissy is in order!!!! Thanks for sharing! Liz xx
You SO should. The trip would be worth it. Come on a Saturday and you can get the Powerhouse Markets in too.
Wounds wonderful. I’m afraid that if you accept my invitation for breakfast there is no way I’ll measure up…but the company should be good. My friends visited here recently and although not waxing quite as lyrical as you, they were indeed impressed nonetheless.
It is early days though, you still have quite a few more months to go before you reach the end of the year.
Yes, early days but we rarely go anywhere that has anything really interesting on the menu. It’s all very same same. Worth visiting.
Ok, you got me, I’m going 🙂
Definitely worth it!
Good breakfast places are hard to find so I’m glad to read you’ve found the best 🙂
We only go to breakfast 1/2 dozen times a year so the I have high standards and this place delivered.
This is one of my favourite breakfast places… particularly so because they are child friendly. Miss 2 always enjoys one of the jam donuts while we wait for the ‘proper’ breakfasts to arrive, and if that fails, we walk around and admire the fresh flowers for sale and fresh herbs growing on the footpath. I never even got so much as a stink eye when I walked in with a squawky new born (thank you for that small mercy!)
I’ve yet to eat a dish here I don’t like. Great review!
Ha ha! The stinkeye. That made me smile. Yes, I really liked the vibe and very family friendly as Ben has a relativley yound family himself. I’m going the fritters next time.
Hi stranger – Lucky us, its our local. Those Aussie Asian Eggs are the bomb. I can tell you the fritters are great, and the pancakes are too. Yes, I have surfed the menu! I’ve been wanting to find a vid of “The Best” a food writer in Sydney raved about what a good show and format it was. The Friday night dinners last year were really fun. He changes the cuisine monthly. Well worth it.
Hello lady. Actually, as we pulled up I thought of you as I know it’s your local. Very lucky. It just has such a great vibe and if you’re going to spend money on food, you want it to be great quality like this is. I did see the dinners previously. I’ll have to take a look again.